Girl Scouts Participating in "Money Matters" Series Visit New York Stock Exchange

July 11, 2012

Nine Girl Scouts from Fairfield, Trumbull, and Stratford recently visited the New York Stock Exchange in New York City as a part of their “Money Matters” series program.

During their visit, the girls and volunteer facilitator Maria DiPierro had the opportunity to meet Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money, and were featured on CNBC while waiting for the opening bell. They each traded $1 million of Disney stock in real time. They also sat at the conference table in the New York Stock Exchange chairman’s board room.

The series is offered by Girl Scouts of Connecticut and focuses on informing girls between the ages of 10 and 14 about important topics related to money. These topics included managing and calculating the true cost of living, exploring investment options, forming mock investment clubs, and tracking stocks with a $10,000 allotment over the course of four months. They were also visited by women working in financial fields or running their own businesses, gaining perspective on the opportunities available to women in the field. They also learned an important lesson in obtaining credit and using credit cards.

The series is one of many offered under Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s STEM initiative, which offers girl-led, girl-centered activities to help develop a girl’s confidence and build her skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. As a part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, programs such as these help a girl discover new things about herself and others, connect with new friends and learn about other cultures and places, and to take action by finding ways to make their community or the world a better place.